Sources: EMC Close To Naming New Americas Channel Chief

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EMC is close to hiring a new North American channel chief to replace Leonard Iventosch, the former vice president of Americas channels who left the company Dec. 31, sources familiar with the matter told CRN on Tuesday.

Bill Taylor, director of vCloud Hybrid Service at VMware, which is majority owned by EMC, is one of the candidates in the running for the position, according to one EMC partner.

Gregg Ambulos, senior vice president of worldwide channel sales at EMC, is currently running North American channels on an interim basis, another EMC partner told CRN. Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

EMC seems to have been cutting back on channel related costs recently after having built up a strong indirect team over the past few years, the second source said.

"EMC has been very generous to the channel in the last three years," the source said. "It's time to buckle up and get profitability in line. It's just sound business practice."

Ambulos is currently traveling and couldn't be reached for comment on Iventosch's departure or who EMC might pick to replace him.

In an email, an EMC spokesperson told CRN the vendor will be providing more information about its next Americas channel chief "soon."

Iventosch, who is currently in Mexico on vacation, told CRN via email that he and EMC mutually agreed on the timing of his departure.

Iventosch said he accomplished much of what Ambulos brought him in to do at EMC, including launching the Virtual DM program, enhancing training and certification programs, driving cultural change in the sales force and building partner loyalty.

As EMC rolls out its new Business Partner Program, Iventosch said he and Ambulos agreed that it would be best to have someone from EMC corporate headquarters run it. That person will likely be based in Massachusetts, he added.

XChange Solution Provider 2015 is finally upon us and the timing couldn't be better. The premier channel event is happening March 1-3 in Dallas, bringing together 225 solution provider decision makers from across North America. CRN is at the event to provide news, analysis and a firsthand take from partners.